Pump



1954 w. A. SHALLENBER G 2,667,842

PUMP

Filed June 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

j HAL z a:

I 1 ML TERRY/M05705 J z m A? Feb. 2, 1954 w. A. SHALLENBERG PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 1, 1950 Mum 146 05705 SHAMENBBPG- INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 2, 1954 PUMP Walter Agustus Shallenberg, Salem, Ohio, as-

signor to The Deming Company, Salem, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application June 1, 1950, Serial N 0. 165,553

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a pump adapted to force a continuous even stream of water into a service line without the necessity of employing an external tank. An object of the invention is to provide such a pump in extremely simple, com pact, self-contained form which shall contain within it a pressure accumulator to store excess pressure and automatically supply it to the stream being delivered when the pressure applied by the pumping mechanism falls below a predetermined amount.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pressure accumulator in the form of a closed flexible bag housed within the pump casing and containing air under pressure which is available at all times to be externally compressed, with a corresponding increase in its internal pressure, by an excess pressure from the pumping elements and to react to augment the pressure delivered by such elements to the service line.

In carrying out this invention, I provide a selfpriming pump having a chamber in its base occupied by the closed inflated air bag, subjected externally to the pumping pressure. The pumping elements are centrally located within the base, leaving a surrounding space which is occupied by the air bag, such space being preferably completely annular and the air bag being doughnut-shaped and substantially filling the space while having aportion of its surface in contact with the water being delivered by the pump. A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the drawings hereof and is hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the complete pump; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the air bag and a portion of the pump casing above the pumping elements, as indicated by the offset line 2-2 on Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are details in vertical section in planes indicated by the correspondingly numbered lines on Fig. 1.

As shown particularly in Fig. 1, l indicates the hollow base of the pump having a suction intake passageway II and a pressure discharge passageway 12. Mounted on the base It is an upper casing 28 carrying a suitable motor not shown but adapted to rotate a depending vertical shaft 2! adapted to drive the pumping mechanism in the base.

More specifically, the base It is a hollow casting having a substantially horizontal bottom I I, a vertical cylindrical wall [5 and an annular top portion [6. The open space at the top left by the annular portion I6 is in use closed by a top plate ll which by suitable spaced portions 18 carries a horizontal top plate l9 on which the motor casing 28 rests.

The pumping mechanism is centrally mounted in the base and has a vertical driving shaft 30 coupled to the motor shaft 2|. This pumping mechanism is preferably of the centrifugal type and in the embodiment shown comprises a twostage centrifugal pump receiving water from the intake II and delivering it under pressure to the discharge passageway I2. I

A shown in Fig. 1, the lower pumping element comprises a two-part casing 3i and 32 rigidly mounted on an annular horizontal portion of the base about the vertical exit of the intake passageway H. Within this casing 3| and 32 is an impeller 33 tight on the shaft 30 and receiving water centrally by a passageway 34 and delivering it through an opening 35 to the upper pumping element. The upper element likewise comprises a rigidly mounted two-part casing 36 and 31 and an impeller 38 within the casing and rigidly mounted on the shaft 30. This upper element receives its water from the first pumping element and delivers it via the passageway 39 to the annular space surrounding the pumping members and thence to the discharge passageway i2.

The pump shaft 39 is drivingly supported by the motor shaft M. A coupling sleeve 40, which is drivingly secured to the upper end of the pump shaft 30, has a split portion which is clamped to the motor shaft 2! by an internally tapered nut 41, thus rigidly connecting the motor to the impellers. The sleeve 49 passes through an opening in the plate I'Lwhich is provided with a fluid retainer 43 to prevent escape of fluid. The lower end of the shaft 3i: is journaled in a bushing 44 mounted in an opening formed in the base II), which is closed by a plug 45. The specific form of the pumping elements, the drive and the support therefor may be changed without departing from my invention.

It will be seen that a comparatively large annular chamber at surrounds the impeller casings within the pump base, such chamber being bounded on the outside by the vertical wall l5 and the top and bottom walls it and it of the base, except at the intake and discharge where the annular space is vertically reduced by the means defining passageways I i and 12, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Within the chamber 46 above described I mount the doughnut-shaped flexible air container or bag 50, made of any flexible material which is impervious to both-air and the fluid to be pumped. I find rubber or rubber-like material to be suitable for this purpose although fabric which has been treated to render it impervious may be used. This bag when inflated lies against the vertical wall of the base and against the top and bottom plates thereof, except where it arches over the intake and discharge conduits,:'as shown in- -Figsnl and 3 respectively. The air. bag is provided with a filling nipple 55 having an internal check valve. This nipple is made after the manner of the ordinary filling nipple on an automobile tire inner tube. The nipple extends through the top wall l6 of the base and is clamped by an externalnut 56,..heingthus externally accessible for .the -.charging of theiair bag by an ordinary air hose.

I mount in the space outsideof the impeller casings a vertical tube 50 which provides an inner wall against which the inner periphery of th air bag bears. There is sufiicient passage- I -way through thisretainer tube 50, to transmit the ,-pressure about the pump casings to the-inner wall of the air bag. For this purpose the drawi n s show this retainer: tube as a wovenwire grill,; but it' -may. be a. solid tube with sufiicient perforations or passageways to allow transmis- ;..-sion of. the water under pressure through the .-retainer tube to the air bag. The retainer tube -is notched at Si in its lowermost portion Where 3 it straddles the suction conduit, and at B2 in its uppermost portion on the opposite side align- -g g-with the-entranceto the discharge passage- "*WaYJ The airbag is pumped-up through the nipple .55.-.to a suitable-air pressure, for example, 20 lbs. per-square inch. .When the pump starts to opera-ate it-] o uilds,-up. a pressure within the annular space about the impeller-casings within there- ;tainer tubebi). .wIf the pressure exceeds that-in thee-air bag, the innerswalhofwthe airbag-sis -thereby pressed away from the retainer tube, xreducing the-cubiccontents of thebag, so that its internal-pressure increases. ''-If the pressure --x.-ielivered'by the pumping elements dropsbelow that in the air bag, the air bag expands by reason .ofits then internal pressure and thus augments the delivered pressure.

In assembling-the pump, the airbag isfirst -:-placed in the hollow basethrough theopeningjn th o or th a s a i-t efil n nip l 5 f th air bag; ispassed through. an opening -in.:t he b e top -:a -a mr po iti n beanie .i-ternal nut-asshown. .Then the tubularsretainer is=;mounted along the innerperiphery of;,the;air hes, the eumpine m m P t lace to th r .with the top plate 11. Thenthe motor casing-:is mounted on -the support l9 and its shafta-is coupledby the sleeve 40withthepump 'shaft;30.

i I have-stated that this; pump ris adapted -to deliver water-underan even pressure direct;to e the service line. In-Fig. 1, I-have-indicated, a

service line HJ connected with; a -disc harge pas- .sageway IZ by a vertical T, -'H, and in the upper ..,opening. or this T I have mounted a suitable pressure gauge '.'Z.connected .bya threaded bushingr'fli. Thejremoval of this. bushing withthe gauge opens the upperend of t is connection to allow [the-loading of the pump chamberwith .Water from an externalsource for-originally prirning it; thereafter the 11111 11 is self-priming.

To prevent draining the priming water;;fr om the pump, I; providea checkvalve-ld-located in an ,elbowor a plugged T,- 16, connecting thesuction later is a compact structure. The employment of a complete closed flexible air bag does away with thenecessity for employing gaskets or other sealing means about the accumulator. Such a 5 bag may be compressed by'forcing a portion inwardly to reduce the cubic content without stretching the indented wall of the bag, as ad- ;jacent portions -merely-, bent inwardly to accommodate the: changed shape. Moreover, as the Wall acted on by pressure is forced inwardly the .sfiexing is not about any fixed axis, and as a result weakening in any region, which might otherwise result, is avoided. The bag therefor has a very .rlongrlife.

My airtube accumulator in the pump not only eliminates--the necessity for an external tank but also the .air. ,control means heretofore employed.

to insure a proper amount of air in such tank. In myrpump the air being entirely enclosed in an impervious bag cannot be absorbed by the Water. ;By. makingthi.s1;air bag of doughnut-shap and locating-it in the-base of. the pump, such .base

1 needbe no higherv than is required for the pump- ,-ing elements with their casings ,andintake and exit-passages. and the lateral dimensions need be no greater than is-desirable for making: a

stable sup-portforthe pump. The whole pumping-unit may therefore be small enough, if-de sired, so that it may be mounted in a comparaco. tively small space, for instance the idle space beneath a kitchen sink. Thepump is available at all times to force asteadystream of water to 1 the service-line merely-by the closing of the .electricswitch controlling the operating motor.

It is also a conveniencein my pump, that the pump mechanism-can be removed for adjust- ..ment from its place Without; disturbing the air ,charge inside the tube. Such air charge onthe other hand may be regulated to .themost-de- 4o sirable pressure" from :the exterior without disturbing thepumping mechanism.

-. 16181 .111 1; Inaself-contained watergsystem, a verti- .;cally; extending-cylindrical container closed at ,-.its .bottom and having; a top provided with an ...axial Opening, a. vertically'extending axially posi- ,-tioned perforate cylinder of substantially the same,diameterof -said;openi positioned with- .;in said container; andextending from thetop to w the, bottom thereof, an ,endless closed' flexible -.-..-water and air; impervious; inflated air bag substantially; filling the, space between the perforate ,cylinder-andthe-verticalt-wall of the container,

a centrifugal pumphavipgits axis coextensive .;with-1the axis of the container mounted Within ;-.-the cy-linder and'restipg .on the bottom of the cont ainer,- a motor supporting head securedto v ,the ,upper end of the container and coacting. with th perforate cylinder and the pump towclamp 6O .them ,in, .position within said container, said head forminga=c1osure for-saidcontainer, a motor mounted on top of said closure, a driveshaft extending, through said closure and. connecting the pump with the: motor, said 7 container and pump having alignedinletppenings and ,anout- ,letpassageway; leading fromrthe interior of the -,perfor ate cylinder and'ex-tending radially within -,the container adjacent its top. and. having an upw r -openin seh r 2. In a self-contained water system, a vertically extending cylindrical...containerplosed at its hottom,and provided with a top. wallhaving an axial circularopeningextending .therethrough, a =perforatewallsd-ppen-endedrc l' derof substantiaily 75.the;sarnc,;-diameter a 'it rdiamet oilsaidcnaning mounted within said container and extending from the top to the bottom thereof, a flexible water and air impervious inflated air bag substantially filling the space between the perforate cylinder and the vertical wall of the container, a centrifugal pump having a vertically extending axis coextensive with the axis of the container and having a lower end resting on the bottom of the container, said pump having an upwardly extending drive shaft, a motor supporting head secured to the upper end of the container and coasting with the perforate cylinder and the pump to clamp them in position within said container, said head forming a closur for said container and having an axially positioned opening through which said drive shaft extends, a motor having a downwardly extending drive shaft mounted on top of said closure, a separable driving connection between said motor and said pump shafts, said container and pump having aligned downwardly facing inlet openings, a conduit communicating with said openings and extending outward to the periphery of said container, an outlet passageway within the container leading outwardly from the interior of the perforate cylinder and having an upwardly opening discharge.

3. In a self-contained water system for household use, a vertically extending hollow cylindrical container closed at its bottom and having a top provided with an enlarged central opening, a vertically extending axially positioned perforate hollow sleeve of substantially cross section as that of the opening positioned within said container and extending from the top to the bottom thereof, an endless flexible water and air impervious inflated air bag substantially filling the space between the perforate sleeve and the vertical wall of the container, a centrifugal pump having a vertically extending axis coextensive with the axis of the container and having a lower end resting on the bottom of the container and having an upwardly extending drive shaft, a motor supporting head secured to the upper end of the container and coacting with the perforate cylinder and the pump to clamp them in position within said container, said head forming a closure for said container and having an axially positioned opening through which said drive shaft extends, a liquid seal carried by said head and surrounding said shaft to prevent the escape of water from the container along said shaft, a motor having a vertically extending drive shaft mounted on top of said closure, a separable driving connection between said motor and said pump shaft, said container having a downwardly extending peripheral flange forming a base for said container, a laterally extending inlet passageway adjacent the bottom of said container and leading from the periphery thereof to the pump, and a laterally extending outlet passageway within said container and leading from the interior of the perforate cylinder along the top of the container and having an upwardly opening discharge opening.

WALTER AGUSTUS SHALLENBERG.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 123,636 McGowan Feb. 13, 1872 1,191,469 Rixen July 18, 1916 2,418,667 Rockwell Apr. 8, 1947 2,485,752 Laspe et a1 Oct. 25, 1949 2,512,765 Byram June 27, 1950 2,533,428 Carpenter Dec. 12, 1950 

